LESEDR 
The  System  of  the  Universe, 


Q 

173 

L62 


XESEUR'S 

PHILOSOPHY: 


UN    VERSE 


THE  SYSTEM  OF  THE  UNIVERSE, 


NEW     SYSTEM 


CHRISTIAN    PHILOSOPHY, 


CONTAINING  A  COMPLETE  EXPLANATION  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OP 

UNIVERSAL    SCIENCE,  FOUNDED    UPON  UNCHANGEABLE 

LAWS      AND    EMBRACING  WITHIN   ITS    FORMULAE 

EVERY  DEPARTMENT  OF  HUMAN  INQUIRY. 


CORRECTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DISCOVERY, 

MADE   BY 

FRANCIS     LESETTR,     IN     1831. 

PUBLISHED  FOR  SUBSCRIBERS. 

HARTFORD. 

Printed  by  J,  Gaylord  Wells,  184 1-8  Main  Street. 
1843. 


ENTERED  according  to  Act  of  Congress;  in  the  year  1840,  by 

FRANCIS  LESEUR, 
in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  Connecticut. 


3UIVJ  - 

bANTA  BARBAKA 
THE   SYSTEM  OF  THE  UNIVERSE, 

1st    SOURCE  OF  ACTION. 

DIVINITY. 

1st.  2d.  8d. 

1.  CREATOR.          2.  MEDIATOR.       3.  RELATIVE  POWER. 


2d    SOURCE  OF  ACTION. 

MIND. 

1st.  2d.  3d. 

4.  INTELLECTUAL.    5.  MORAL.    6.  SENSITIVE  POWERS. 

7.  1.  Intuition.  I  10.  1.  Duty  to  God.  I  13.  1.  Love  and  hatred. 

8.  2.  Reason.  11.  2.    "    our  fellow  being.     14.  2.  Joy  and  sorrow. 

9.  2.  Imagination.         |  12.  3.    "     to  ourself.  J  15.  2.  Fear  and  courage. 

:«;  Connected  with  matterby 

;&•  hearing,  seeing  and  feeling 

— I  sound,  color,  form. 


3d    SOURCE  OF  ACTION. 

NATURE.* 

1st.  2d.  3d. 

16,  ORGANIZATION.  17.  CALORIFIC  MOTION.  18.  MATTER, 

19.  1-  Animal.  I  22.  1.  Combustion.  I  25.  Solid. 

20.  2.  Vegetable.  23.  2.  Electricity.  26.  Liquid. 

21.  3.  Mineral.  |  24.  3.  Magnetism.  |  27.  Aeriform. 

The  above  is  the  complete  order  of  the  universal  Triune,  or  circle. 

The  following  is  a  continuation  of  the  subdivisions  in  the  third  Source  of  action,  or 
material  circle,  beginning  with  the  highest  state  of  organization.  This  being  the  first  sub- 
division under  the  organic  circle. 

ZOOLOGICAL  CIRCLE,  OR  ANIMAL  KINGDOM. 

HUMAN  RACE.       LOWER  VERTEBRATA.       INVERTEBRATA. 

1.  Caucasian.  I  1.  Quadrupeds.  I  1.  Annulosa. 

2.  Mongolean.  2.  Birds.  I  2.  Radiata 


3.  African.  |  3.  Fishes.  |  3.  Mollusca. 

'All  changes  in  nature  are  produced  by  motion  —there  are  three  kinds  of  motion,  1st, 
calorific  or  primary,  produced  by  relation  of  element*.  2d ,  relative  or  mechanical,  pro- 
duced by  contact  of  bodies.  3d,  Organic  motien. 


PREFACE. 

IN  presenting  this  volume  to  the  public,  nothing  need  be  said 
more  than  to  mention  the  object  of  its  publication. 

Ten  years  have  now  passed  away,  since  the  System  of  the 
universe  was  discovered ;  at  the  commencement  of  this  period,  a 
small  and  imperfect  explanation  was  published,  with  a  promise  to 
give  a  full  exposition  of  the  theory,  as  soon  as  practicable.  But 
unfavorable  circumstances  soon  followed,  which  prevented  all 
further  publication. 

The  object  of  the  present  work  is  to  give  a  complete  explana- 
tion of  the  primary  principles  of  this  System,  and  to  show  the  ap- 
plication of  it  to  the  more  practical  and  useful  branches  of  science, 
in  relation  to  the  advancement  of  human  knowledge,  as  well  as 
to  the  higher  investigations  of  all  science  in  connection,  as  dis- 
played in  the  perfect  laws  of  the  Creator,  developing  one  great 
system  of  universal  order  and  harmony. 

HARTFORD,  January,  1840. 

The  synopsis  on  the  third  page  gives  an  analytic  view  of  the 
first  great  divisions  of  science,  and  will  be  fully  explained,  together 
with  a  more  extended  analysis,  in  the  following  work. 


"FOR  THE  INVISIBLE  THINGS  OF  HIM  FROM  THE  CREATION 'OF  THE 
WORLD  ARE  CLEARLY  SEEN;  BEING  UNDERSTOOD  BY  THE  THINGS 
THAT  ARE  MADE,  EVEN  HIS  ETERNAL  POWER  AND  GODHEAD."— 
ROMANS,  I.  20. 


"  In  primis,  hominis  est  propria  veri  inquisitio  atque  investigate.  Itaque  cum  sumus 
negotiis  necessariis,  cuvisque  vacui,  turn  avemus  aliquid  videre,  audire,  ac  dicere,  cogni- 
tionemque  rerum,  nut  occultarum  aut  admirabillhini.  ad  bene  beateque  vivendum  necrs- 
sariam  ducimus  ; — ex  quo  intelligitur,  quod  veruin,  simplex,  sincerumque  sit,  id  esse  nature; 
hominis  aptissimum.  Huic  veri  videndi  cupidiialis  adjuncta  cst  appelitio  queedam 
principatus,  ut  nemini  parere  animus  bene  a  natura  informntus  velit,  nisi  preecipienti, 
aut  docenti,  aut  utilitatis  causa  juste  et  legitime  impranti :  ex  quo  animi  magnitude  esistit, 
et  humanarum  rerum  contemtio." — Cicero,  de  officiis  Lib  1.  $  13. 

Before  all  other  things,  man  is  distinguished  by  his  pursuit  and  investigation  of  truth  . 
And  hence,  when  free  from  needful  business  and  cares,  we  delight  to  see,  to  hear,  and  to 
communicate,  and  consider  a  knowledge  of  many  admirable  and  abstruse  things  necessary 
to  the  good  conduct  and  happiness  of  our  lives  :  whence  itis  clear  that  whatsoever  is  true, 
simple,  and  direct,  the  same  is  most  congenial  to  our  nature  as  men.  Closely  allied  with 
this  earnest  longing  to  see  and  know  the  truth,  is  a  kind  of  dignified  and  princely  senti- 
ment which  forbids  a  mind  naturally  well  constituted  to  submit  its  faculties  to  'any  but 
those  who  announce  it  in  preceptor  in  doctrine,  or  to  yield  obedience  to  any  orders  but 
such  as  are  at  once  just,  lawful,  and  founded  on  utility.  From  this  source  springs  great- 
ness of  mind  and  contempt  of  worldly  advantages  and  troubles. 


P  A  NTONOMY, 


GENERAL    REMARKS. 

THERE  is  a  difference  between  the  effects  of  local  and  general 
knowledge,  and  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  that  isolated 
knowledge  of  facts,  or  arts,  which  the  world  calls  practical, 
and  those  universal  principles  of  science  upon  which  all  art 
as  well  as  knowledge  must  depend  for  its  correctness.  Aided  by 
the  advantages  of  the  former,  it  isin  this'latter  sense  that  knowledge 
becomes  the  true  source  of  progressive  improvement  and  happi- 
ness, and  lays  a  permanent  foundation  for  moral  and  religious 
truth  on  the  firm  basis  of  the  physical  and  exact  sciences. 

Wherever  an  increase  of  this  knowledge  is  introduced,  its  en- 
livening influence  upon  the  character  and  condition  of  society  is 
no  less  certain  than  that  of  the  rising  sun  upon  material  creation. 
At  the  approach  of  the  latter,  animal  and  vegetable  nature  seem 
to  expand  with  additional  life  and  activity  ;  they  not  only  feel  his 
direct  power,  but  they  become  expanded  with  capacity  to  receive 
additional  nourishment  from  the  surrounding  earth  and  atmos- 
phere, and  the  influence  also  extends  far  beyond  the  objects  imme- 
diately affected,  for  they  become  relatives  by  which  other  objects 
are  energised,  the  reflected  rays  are  thrown  out  in  all  directions 
from  object  to  object  and  even  far  into  the  shade,  so  that  all  things 
reciprocate  the  general  influence;  the  proper  materials  of  life  are 
transfused  throughout  material  organization  —  music  is  heard  in 
the  grove  —  beauty  and  incense  come  forth  from  the  unfolding 
flower ;  all  the  variety  of  colors  are  displayed  and  even  the  cold 
mineral  shines  with  a  dazzling  lustre.  And  thus  it  is  with  the 
mind  at  the  approach  of  science,  for  its  influence  cannot  be  con- 
fined—  it  will  impart  an  invigorating  power  to  all  within  its  reach, 


the  faculties  of  the  mind  become  expanded,  capable  of  receiving 
additional  happiness  —  each  individual  becomes  the  source  of 
happiness  to  those  around  —  the  rays  of  truth  are  reflected  from 
mind  to  mind  until  a  gradual  change  is  wrodght  in  the  intellectual, 
moral  and  physical  condition  of  the  community  —  superior  order 
and  taste  appear  in  the  external  character  and  refinement,  benevo- 
lence and  happiness  shine  from  within. 

Scientific  truth,  where  it  has  not  been  suppressed,  has  ever 
proved  a  powerful  aid  to  the  precepts  of  Christianity,  and  it  is 
these  combined  truths  which  have  been  the  primary  source  of  all 
those  high  blessings  which  distinguish  civilized  man  from  the 
heathen  world.  If  the  word  of  God  is  "  a  lamp  to  our  feet  and  a 
light  to  our  paths,"  it  is  the  knowledge  of  science  which  is  to  ex- 
tend the  mental  vision  until  we  are  enabled  to  behold  the  light  in 
all  its  beauty  and  splendor.  It  is  science  which  has  enlarged  our 
capacity  for  making  use  of  the  divine  precept,  and  of  extending 
its  influence  throughout  the  world,  reason  and  faith  are  here  uni- 
ted. "  The  tree  of  knowledge  is  grafted  upon  the  tree  of  life, 
and  that  fruit  which  brought  the  fear  of  death  into  the  world,  bud- 
ding on  an  immortal  stock  becomes  the  fruit  of  the  promise  of 
immortality." 

The  term  Philosopher  is  formed  by  the  connection  of  two  Greek 
words,  and  signified,  originally,  a  lover  of  learning  or  a  lover  of 
knowledge.  It  comes  down  to  us  from  the  earliest  ages  of  Gre- 
cian history,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  determine  who  first  claim- 
ed the  name,  or  who  first  deserved  it.  The  name  Philosophy  was 
originally  applied  to  the  writings  or  instructions  of  those  who 
observed  and  studied  the  operations  and  general  laws  of  nature, 
compared  the  principles  thus  obtained  with  the  few  facts  they 
could  collect  from  their  limited  knowledge  and  handed  the 
result  of  their  investigations  down  to  posterity.  While  the  art 
of  printing  was  unknown,  they  had  no  other  way  of  communica- 
ting their  knowledge  to  others,  to  any  extent,  than  by  establish- 
ing schools,  hence  the  various  schools  of  Philosophy  among  the 
ancients,  many  of  which  existed  many  years  before  the  Christian 
era.  Plato,  Aristotle,  Democratus,  Epicurus  and  Zeno  were  all 
distinguished  as  teachers  of  their  own  peculiar  doctrines ;  but 


»  I 

they  seem  to  have  labored  under  the  same  difficulties  with  most 
of  their  successors.  They  wanted  an  unchangeable  and  univer 
sal  law  of  science,  on  which  to  predicate  their  doctrines,  and  which 
might  guide  them  in  all  their  researches.  This  difficulty  has 
existed  in  all  ages.  We  see  men  of  genius  taking  up  detached 
branches  of  science  and  examining  them  according  to  their  own 
practical  observations,  or  the  observations  of  others,  without 
regard  to  the  relations  which  one  subject  of  science  bears  to 
another  in  the  great  scale  of  human  knowledge.  While  others  of 
more  general  observation  but  equally  unsuccesssful,  are  wan- 
dering about  in  the  dark  in  the  great  field  of  science,  until  they 
are  lost  and  bewildered  by  their  own  speculation,  like  the  marine* 
who  would  attempt  to  navigate  a  vast  and  unkown  ocean  with- 
out a  chart,  a  compass  or  a  pilot. 

It  would  be  foreign  to  the  present  subject  to  enter  upon  an  ex- 
amination of  the  merits  of  any  writings,  either  ancient  or  mod- 
ern ;  but  it  may,  however,  be  remarked,  that  a  large  amount  of 
prejudice  has  existed  in  conscientious  minds,  both  in  this  country 
and  Europe,  against  works  professedly  philosophical,  and  for 
this  they  have  had  very  good  reasons  :  for  many  who  have  pre- 
tended to  write  on  the  subject  have  run  into  such  extremes  of 
Skepticism,  Idealism  and  Materialism,  as  to  give  a  direct  tendency 
to  infidelity.  This  fact,  however,  forms  no  objection  to  a  correct 
system  ;  but  on  the  contrary  shows  the  necessity  of  one  that  will 
explain  those  laws  which  are  the  foundation  of  all  philosophical 
truth,  and  without  a  general  knowledge  of  which,  we  may  expect 
always  to  be  troubled  with  false  theories.  Religion  has  had  its 
false  teachers  in  almost  every  age  since  the  commencement  of 
Christianity  ;  yet  there  is  but  one  true  code  of  Christian  laws ; 
and  is  it  not  probable  that  there  is  but  one  true  system  of  Philoso- 
phy? 

2 


1U 


EXPLANATION  OF  TERMS. 

In  entering  upon  an  explanation  of  the  present  system,  the  au- 
thor is  fully  aware  of  the  difficulty  arising  from  the  use  of  terms 
which  are  not  definitely  understood.  But  as  the  name  of  a 
thing  does  not  constitute  its  quality,  so  it  must  be  remembered  that 
the  name  of  a  branch  of  science  does  not  explain  it,  and  it  is 
deemed  sufficient  for  the  present  purpose,  without  adopting  a 
special  nomenclature,  to  use  such  terms  as  are  best  understood 
according  to  common  acceptation,  and  in  so  doing  some  repetition 
must  necessarily  occur. 

There  are  few  words  in  our  language  that  have  been  used  in 
a  more  general  and  unlimited  sense  than  the  term  science.  Con- 
sidering its  Latin  derivation  it  seems  nearly  synonymous  with 
knowledge,  while  modem  usage  has  confounded  it  in  many  in- 
stances with  the  meaning  of  the  word  art.  An  individual  highly 
distingished  for  his  learning,  and  known  in  this  country  as  a  man 
of  science,  while  lecturing  on  natural  philosophy  a  few  years 
ago,  gave  the  following  definition  :  "  science  may  be  considered 
as  an  art  or  the  result  of  an  art." 

Another  has  lately  said,  while  lecturing,  "  science  is  knowledge 
reduced  to  order." 

Herschel,  the  great  European  philosopher,  says,"  science  is  the 
knowledge  of  many,  orderly  and  methodically  digested  so  as  to 
become  attainable  by  one. 

Bacon  says,  "  science  is  being  awake."  Now  from  all  this  ex- 
planation we  have  no  correct  idea  of  what  is  meant  by  science. 

The  term  as  used  in  the  present  system  may  be  explained  as 
follows  : 

It  stands  here  to  represent  all  the  different  departments  of  hu- 
man inquiry  into  which  the  laws  of  the  universe  are  divided,  each 
division  forming  a  necessary  part  of  the  great  whole  —  the  laws 
of  analysis  —  of  division  and  subdivision  which  run  throughout, 
define  the  relations  which  each  part  bears  to  all  the  others, 
and  brings  all  branches  of  science  into  one  great  system  of  order 


11 

*nd  subordination  of  parts.  From  this  consideration  we  perceive 
that  science  includes  all  the  laws  of  the  universe  collectively,  and 
those  of  each  branch  separately.  As  the  Creator  has  thus  placed 
all  things  in  certain  relations  to  each  other,  the  true  character  of 
these  relations  must  depend  on  the  situation  of  each  part  in  re- 
gard to  the  whole,  as  well  as  in  regard  to  each  particular  part 
more  immediately  associated  with  it.  In  our  systematic^  vesti- 
gations,  we  must  therefore  follow  the  true  law  of  classification, 
(and  not  an  artificial  arrangement,)  and,  accordingly,  it  is  evident 
that  science,  in  its  most  extensive  sense,is  the  law  of  the  universe. 
This  is  its  definition.  Law  is  a  rule  of  action  or  arrangement. 
What  is  the  universe  ?  Under  this  term  we  include  all  that  we 
know  or  are  capable  of  knowing  —  all  that  we  perceive  or  are 
capable  of  perceiving,  while  in  the  present  state  of  existence. 
Should  this  world  stand  for  millions  of  ages  to  come,  the  laws  of 
science  once  known  would  remain  unalterably  the  same,  and 
that  system  which  arranges  and  classifies  them,  if  it  be  a  true 
one,  must  remain  the  same  that  it  now  is.  It  is  true,  man  may 
invent  by  applying  any  of  those  known  principles  to  any  new, 
useful,  or  amusing  purposes  of  life,  thus  instituting  new  arts,  and 
the  knowledge  of  such  a  system  must,  in  this  respect,  be  of  great 
service  to  him  by  pointing  out  new  arrangement  in  the  laboratories 
of  nature  which  he  might  not  have  thought  of  without  it. 

We  have  now  explained  what,  to  us  finite  beings,  is  the  uni- 
verse, although  to  beings  of  higher  intelligence  it  may  be  but  a 
part,  and  to  God  it  may  be  but  an  infinitely  small  part,  yet  to  man, 
in  his  present  state  of  existence,  it  must  ever  be  the  whole  uni- 
verse. 

The  numbers  1,  2,  3,  as  used  in  the  synopsis,  indicate  the  pri- 
mary divisions  of  science,  or  any  one  of  the  branches  or  sub- 
branches. 

The  word  nature  is  perhaps  used  in  a  different  sense  here 
from  what  we  have  been  accustomed  to  see  it  in  other  works. 
By  referring  to  the  general  synopsis,  it  will  be  found  to  include 
under  it  all  the  laws  of  the^material  world,  and  nothing  more 


13 

than  these  ;  and  although  we  may  have  been  accustomed  to 
•peak  of  the  nature  of  the  mind,  and  the  nature  of  the  divine 
attributes,  this  term  has  been  selected  as  the  least  objectionable. 

The  term  organization  is  placed  over  the  three  kingdoms  of 
nature,  the  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral,  and  includes,  as  this 
system  requires,  all  the  laws  belonging  to  them  under  one  head. 
Although  this  term  has  been  applied  exclusively  to  the  two  form~ 
er,  while  the  mineral  kingdom  'has  been  termed  inorganic,  there 
is  good  reason,  as  will  be  hereafter  shown,  for  designating  them 
all  under  one  general  name,  applying  to  all  bodies  gradually 
assuming  peculiar  forms  under  distinct  laws.  Vegetable  forma- 
tions differ  quite  as  much  from  animal  formations  as  those  of  the 
mineral  kingdom  do  from  vegetation.  The  earth,  independent 
of  animal  and  vegetable  matter,  is  as  truly  an  organism  as  the 
human  body,  and  yet  the  atmosphere,  water,  and  earthy  substan- 
ces, of  which  it  is  composed,  are  all  mineral. 

By  the  term,  calorific  motion,  as  used  in  the  synopsis,  is  not 
meant  any  one  of  the  sensible  properties  of  fire,  such  as  heat  or 
light,  but  the  primary  cause  of  them  all.* 

By  the  analytic  process  is  meant  the  dividing  and  sub-dividing 
of  a  whole  into  its  various  parts  or  ultimate  elements. 

By  the  synthetic  process,  we  take  the  reverse  sequence,  re-uni- 
ting the  parts  in  their  order  till  we  have  formed  them  into  one. 
In  every  perfect  organism,  or  system,  there  is  a  law  of  relation  and 
subordination  of  parts  running  throughout,  which  we  must  follow 
analytically  or  synthetically,  if  we  would  understand  the  system. 

Now,  it  is  evident  that  without  this  process  any  one  may  form 
imaginary  divisions,  and  from  them  an  imaginary  or  artificial 
classification,  applying  to  any  known  branch  of  science,  such,  for 
instance,  as  the  animal  kingdom,  or  a  class  of  vegetable  forms  ; 
and  he  may  even  found  his  arrangements  upon  some  supposed  or 
real  resemblances.  A  great  many  such  attempts  have  been 

"The  divisions  of  motion  are  organic,  mechanical,  and  calorific  —  calorific  motion 
will  be  divided  into  combustion,  electricity,  and  magnetism  —  and  combustion  into  beat 
light,  and  chemical  rays  —  electricity  into  positive,  negative,  and  neutral  force,  which, 
under  the  name  of  magnetism,  becomes  centripetal,  centrifugal  and  tangental  motion. 


IS 

^ 

made,  and  artificial  classifications  have  been  formed,  many  of 
which  have  been  laid  aside  as  soon  as  formed,  giving  place  to 
others  equally  visionary  and  short  lived.  But  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  even  artificial  systems  when  founded  on  real  re- 
semblances and  relations,  like  those  of  Linnaeus,  have  had  their 
advantages,  and  have  often  brought  to  light  new  relations  and 
new  facts,  which  were  unknown  before ;  and  thus  having  an- 
swered their  purposes  they  have  passed  away,  leaving,  perhaps, 
little  to  be  remembered  of  ihem  in  after  times,  except  the  praise- 
worthy exertions  of  their  immortal  authors. 

It  is  not  necessary  here  to  enter  upon  a  consideration  of  the 
various  attempts  at  systematizing.  There  has  always  been  a 
tendency  in  philosophic  minds  to  generalize  the  laws  of  nature, 
and  to  render  more  intelligible  those  abstruse  principles  which 
have  proved  uninteresting  to  the  ordinary  student.  But  all  the 
systems  which  have  been  attempted,  seem  to  be  more  or  less  local 
or  artificial,  extending,  in  general,  only  to  a  few  branches  of  nat- 
ural science  ;  or  if,  as  in  some  few  instances,  a  wider  range  has 
been  taken,  the  obscurity  in  which  they  have  been  involved, 
seems  to  increase  in  proportion  to  the  extent  of  survey. 

Among  those  whose  minds  have  been  employed  on  this  sub- 
ject, stand  conspicuous,  the  names  of  Linnaeus,  Lister,  Willough- 
by,  Ray,  Lamark,  Latreille  and  Cuvier.  The  labors  of  these 
great  naturalists  were  confined  almost  exclusively  to  a  few  branch- 
es of  natural  science  included  in  the  animal  and  vegetable  king- 
doms, yet  they  shed  additional  light  over  the  whole  field  of  na- 
ture, while,  perhaps,  neither  of  them  thought  his  classification 
would  remain  long  unchanged.  Even  Linnaeus,  whose  writings 
have  been  more  highly  approved,  and  circulated  farther  than 
those  of  any  other  naturalist,  left  us  nothing  more  than  an  artifi- 
cial classification,  and  no  one  ever  felt  more  the  deficiency  of  his 
system  than  himself;  for,  while  he  acknowledges  this,  he  invites 
Philosophers  engaged  in  botany,  every  where,  to  make  common 
interest  with  him  in  seeking  for  a  natural  system,  by  which  he 
undoubtedly  meant  a  system  founded  upon  fixed  laws,  and  re- 
maining unchangeable  in  all  its  arrangements. 


14 

How  far  this  spirit  of  systematic  inquiry  has  prevailed  among 
those  engaged  in  other  departments  of  science  may  be  inferred 
from  the  fact  that  it  has  been  carried  into  the  more  hidden  reces- 
ses of  nature,  bringing  to  light  chemical  relations,  and  laws  of 
definite  proportions  which  were  before  unknown.  Of  this,  we 
have  ample  proofs  in  the  discoveries  of  Wollasten,  Dalton,  Rit- 
ter,  Herschel,  Bechman  and  Davy.  But,  unfortunately  for  the 
world,  systematic  inquiry  has- not  only  been  deficient,  but  it  has 
been  confined  almost  exclusively  to  natural  Philosophy,  leaving 
moral  and  intellectual  science  unimproved  by  its  aid.  Are  not 
our  physical  improvements  far  in  advance  of  our  mental  resour- 
ces ?  Where  are  our  rail-roads  to  moral  and  intellectual  knowl- 
edge? Why  should  not  all  our  institutions  of  learning  —  all  our 
schools  be  raised  to  higher  standard  by  a  new  impress  from  the 
advantages  afforded  by  additional  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  sci- 
ence ?  The  laws  of  moral  and  divine  science  are  no  less  certain 
and  definite  than  those  of  the  material  world.  What  has  already 
been  shown  to  be  true  in  this  respect,  in  relation  to  the  things  of 
visible  creation,  are  also  true  of  the  invisible  powers  of  mind. 
There  is  a  true  system  of  all  things  ;  and  the  writer  would  ask 
indulgence  while  he  adds  a  few  extracts  to  the  present  digress- 
ion from  the  main  subject,  to  show  that  such  a  system,  as  is  here 
proposed,  is  not  inconsistent  with  the  hopes  indulged  by  well- 
known  authors. 

Herschel,  in  his  discourse  on  natural  history,  says  : 
"  It  can  hardly  be  pressed  forcibly  enough  on  the  attention  of 
the  student  of  nature,  that  there  is  scarcely  any  natural  phenom- 
ena which  can  be  fully  and  completely  explained  in  all  its  circum- 
stances without  a  union  of  several,  perhaps  all  the  sciences." 
De  Candolle,  in  his  introduction  to  botany,  says : 
"  It  ought  to  be  most  zealously  inculcated,  that  the  application 
of  this  science  should  only  be  taught  or  learned  after  a  previous 
study  of  general  principles,"  thus  making  a  knowledge  of  general 
laws  necessary  to  a  right  understanding  of  local  and  practical 
science. 


15 

Mrs.  Somerville,  in  her  work  on  the  material  sciences,  says : 

"  Perhaps  the  day  may  come  when  even  gravitation,  no  longer 
regarded  as  an  ultimate  principle,  may  be  resolved  into  a  yet 
more  general  cause,  embracing  every  law  that  regulates  the  mate- 
rial world." 

And  again,  speaking  of  discoveries,  she  says : 

"  The  experiments  made  on  light,  heat,  electricity  and  mag- 
netism, show  an  occult  relation  between  all  these  agents,  which 
probably  will  one  day  be  revealed,  and  in  the  mean  time  it  opens 
a  noble  field  of  experimental  research  to  Philosophers  of  the 
present,  perhaps  future  ages." 

Wiseman  says,  in  his  work  on  Philosophy  : 

"  Were  it  given  unto  us  to  contemplate  God's  works  in  the  vis- 
ible and  in  the  moral  world,  not  as  we  now  see  them  in  shreds 
and  fragments,  but  as  woven  together  into  the  great  web  of  uni- 
versal harmony  ;  could  our  minds  take  in  each  part  thereof  with 
its  general  and  particular  connections,  relations,  and  appliances, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  but  religion  as  established  by  Him,  would 
appear  to  enter  and  fit  so  completely  and  so  necessarily  into  the 
great  plan  as  that  all  would  be  unraveled  and  destroyed  if  by  any 
means  it  should  be  withdrawn." 


ANALYTIC   VIEW   OF  THE  SYSTEM  OF  THE  UNI- 
VERSE, EXPLAINING  THE  SYNOPSIS  —  PAGE  3* 

By  referring  to  page  third,  we  find  all  things  united  under  one 
great  head,  the  Deity.  He  is  all  in  all ;  and  from  this  Source, 
we  begin  to  classify,  descending  analytically  to  the  most  distant 
and  subordinate  parts,  according  to  the  theory  of  division  and 

•I  cannot  hope  to  give  every  one  a  correct  idea  of  this  important  subject,  by  merely 
reading  it  over  once,ibr  we  have  here  associated  together  subjects  which,  perhaps,  have 
been  by  many  always  considered  as  entiiely  distinct :  perhaps  it  requires  too  great  exer- 
tion of  the  mind,  at  first,  to  transfer  itself  from  the  Divine  to  the  mental  world  ;  and  then 
again  from  the  spiritual  and  invisible  powers  of  mind  down  to  the  tangible  things  of  ma- 
terial creation.  But  if  we  would  understand  science,  we  must  accustom  ourselves  to  this 
wide  range  of  thought  ;  we  must  see  the  little  and  the  great,  if  we  would  bear  even  a 
faint  resemblance  to  Him  who  sees  all  things  in  their  true  relations,  and  Who,  while  Ho 
directs  worlds  and  systems  of  worlds  in  their  course,  permits  not  a  sparrow  to  fall  to  the 
ground  without  His  notice 


16 

sub-division.  The  three  first  great  divisions,  whose  union  consti- 
tute what  may  be  called  the  universal  circle,  are,  1st,  Divinity  ; 
2d,  Mind  ;  3d,  Nature.  These  stand  in  the  order  one  above  the 
other,  indicating  different  degrees  of  importance  attached  to  the 
subjects  to  which  they  relate  ;  the  second  being  as  far  below  the 
first,  as  the  third  is  below  the  second  ;  and  they  may  be  consid- 
ered as  three  distinct  worlds,  connected  by  laws  of  analogy  and 
relation.  It  will  be  observed, Jiowever,  that  religion  is  included 
as  a  relative  branch  between  the  first  and  second,  and  mathemat- 
ics between  the  second  and  third. 

In  the  first  of  those  great  divisions,  the  Deity  is  the  source  of 
action  j  in  the  second,  thought,  or  intelligence,  is  the  source  of 
action  ;  in  the  third,  calorific  motion  is  the  source  of  action .  In 
mentioning  these  sources,  it  must  be  remembered  that  Deity  is 
the  primary  source  of  all  actions  resulting  from  the  laws  of  sci- 
ence, (sin  being  merely  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  evade  these 
laws  j  and  thus  moral  evil  being  the  result  of  such  attempts  can 
not  be  chargable  in  any  way  to  the  Deity  as  a  cause  of  its  exist- 
ence.) 

According  to  the  order  here  established,  the  first  subject  of 
science  to  be  considered  is  that  which  relates  directly  to  divinity. 
This  department  is  called  theology,  and  includes  all  that  we  know 
of  God,  of  his  relation  to  us  or  to  the  material  world,  either  by 
divine  revelation,  by  natural  religion,  or  by  the  indications  of 
design  in  the  works  of  creation  and  providence. 

The  second  department  belongs  to  mind  or  human  intelligence, 
and  includes  the  laws  by  which  the  minds  of  all  created  intelli- 
gent beings  are  governed.  This  department  is  called  mental 
science,  or  psychology,  but  in  accordance  with  the  present  sys- 
tem it  should  be  called  psychonomy. 

The  third  department  belongs  to  nature  and  includes  all  the 
laws  of  the  material  world.  It  may  be  called  material  science 
or  physiconomy. 

In  the  theological  department,  the  first  of  the  triune  relations, 
refers  to  the  Creator,  the  second  to  the  Mediator  or  Son,  the  third 
to  that  power  which  stands  in  immediate  relation  to  the  mind  of 


rr 

man  ;  i.  e.,  the  power  or -holy  spirit  by  which  the  mind  may  hold 
communion  with  the  divine  world,  having  access  through  this 
power  to  the  mediator,  and  through  him  to  the  Father  or  Creator, 
thus  the  divine  trinity  may  be  explained  by  reference  to  these 
three  degrees  of  relation  to  the  mind  of  man,  which  are  united 
in  one  God. 

The  sub-divisions  of  the  mental  department  are,  1st,  the  intel- 
lectual, 2d,  the  moral,  3d,  the  sensitive  powers  of  the  mind  of 
man,  each  of  which  forms  a  sub-branch  of  science,  yet  they  are 
united,  three  in  one,  constituting  the  mind.  The  sensitive  pow- 
ers are  nearest  to  the  material  world,  and  are  the  medium  through 
which  the  higher  powers  hold  communion  with  nature.  These 
three  degrees  in  the  human  mind,  and  the  order  of  its  relation  to 
matter,  are  a  resemblance  of  the  divine  trinity  and  its  relation  to 
the  human  mind.  "  God  created  man  in  his  own  image." 

The  department  including  the  material  or  natural  sciences  is 
sub-divided  into  organization,  motion,  and  matter  ;  these  primary 
properties  of  nature  are  also  united  in  one,  and  cannot  be  sepera- 
ted  without  destroying  the  laws  of  the  material  world. 

None  of  the  sub-divisions  here  enumerated  can  be  explained 
separately,  although  we  must,  in  order  to  understand  science, 
direct  our  attention  to  each  one  of  them  so  far  as  to  make  it  a 
leading  object  of  study,  considering  the  laws  of  its  internal  parts, 
as  well  as  those  by  which  it  is  related  to  other  divisions,  forming 
with  it  larger  branches.  This  must  be  understood  in  regard  to 
all  branches  of  science,  whether  large  or  small  —  whether  they 
have  been  divided  into  few  or  many  parts  —  they  are  all  related, 
and  if  the  divisions  are  in  accordance  with  this  system,  there  will 
be  no  difficulty  in  seeing  their  true  relations  ;  and  thus  it  is  clear 
that  no  one  science  can  be  properly  understood  without  some  gen- 
eral knowledge  of  the  whole  range. 

It  will  be  seen,  by  looking  to  the  synopsis,  that  religion  stands 
between  the  mental  and  divine  departments,  and  it  was  called  in 
my  first  publication  a  relative  science,  to  distinguish  it  from  those 
branches  which  were  called  sub-divisions  of  principal  branches. 

It  is  the  true  Divino-Mental  Science,  and  its  place  clearly  de- 
fined, whether  it  be  called  a  relative  or  compound  science. 


18 

Its  first  sub-divisions  have  reference  to  the  three  states  which 
are  connected  with  the  great  principles  of  moral  and  religious 
duty,  as  recognized  by  the  mind.  The  first  is  the  heavenly  or 
divine  state  ;  the  second  is  the  earthly  or  probationary  state  ;  the 
third  and  the  lowest  extreme,  is  the  state  of  woe  —  where  the 
consequences  of  sin  are  to  be  suffered. 

Mathematics  also  stands  between  mind  and  nature,  and  might 
be  called  the  mento-physical  science.  Its  elementary  principles 
are,  addition,  deduction,  and  division.  It  is  the  medium  by  which 
the  mind  takes  cognizance  of  the  relative  and  true  proportions, 
properties,  arrangement  and  powers  of  all  material  things ;  apply- 
ing it  also  to  the  arrangement  and  analysis  of  its  own  powers  ; 
thus  it  applies  to  mind  and  matter.  It  furnishes  us  with  the  only 
real  test  of  truth  in  regard  to  the  material  world,  while  true  reli- 
gion furnishes  a  test  of  truth  in  regard  to  things  pertaining  to  the 
divine  world. 

The  entire  foundation  of  mathematical  science  rests  on  the 
simple  principles  of  addition5  deduction,  and  division.  The 
most  abstruse  branch,  even,  the  Deferential  Calculus  of  Newton, 
contains  nothing  more  than  the  application  of  them  under  more 
complicated  arrangements.  We  have  no  idea  of  addition  with- 
out deduction,  nor  of  deduction  without  addition,  nor  of  division 
without  both.  This  same  law  is  represented  by  the  primary  di- 
visions of  time.  We  have  no  idea  of  the  future  without  the  past, 
nor  of  the  past  without  the  present  and  future. 

Having  shown  the  first  sub-divisions  under  the  three  original 
departments,  or  principal  sciences,  we  have  nine  leading  branch- 
es and  two  compound  branches,  the  divino-inental  and  mento- 
physical.  Now,  all  the  different  subjects  of  inquiry  which  the 
mind  of  man  can  reach  are  included  within  these ;  being  com- 
binations or  applications  of  the  true  principles  contained  under 
them.  All  minor  branches  being-  divisions  from  them  as  they 
are  from  the  first  three. 

I  have  now  explained  the  universal  circle  of  divinity,  mind  and 
nature,  as  far  as  the  first  degree  of  analysis,  and  from  this  we 
may  proceed  downward  by  the  same  process  of  division  and  sub- 


19 

division,  leaving  each  superior  branch  of  the  last  circle,  when  we 
have  divided  as  far  as  the  subject  may  require,  and  proceeding  to 
the  lower,  or  next  in  order,  and  thus  continuing  to  the  most  re- 
mote parts  —  to  simple  and  individual  elements  ;  the  classifica- 
tion is  the  same,  however  far  it  is  carried  — all  branches  are  con- 
nected, each  occupying  its  own  proper  place. 


From  the  preceding  general  view  of  the  subject  it  will  be  seen, 
firstly,  that  this  system  does  not  require,  as  some  have  supposed, 
that  every  thing  should  be  divided  into  three  parts.  But  it 
seems  to  prove  that  the  mathematical  arrangement  here  propos- 
ed, furnishes  the  only  correct  formulas  that  will  apply  to  the  pri- 
mary divisions  and  classification  of  universal  science.  This  for- 
mulas, requiring  that  the  first  divisions  in  every  combination 
forming  unity  in  the  laws  of  science,  should  be  made  out  by  ref- 
erence to  two  extremes  and  a  medium  as  the  only  correct  data  for 
investigation.  In  applying  this  data  to  the  analytic  divisions  in 
the  consecutive  and  proper  order,  in  any  succession  of  beings,  or 
organisms  or  parts  of  an  organ,  as  arranged  by  the  Great  Author 
of  all,  one  and  the  same  rule  is  required,  viz  :  the  most  important, 
the  most  complex,  the  most  perfect  branch,  (if  we  may  use  the 
term  where  every  thing  is  perfect  in  its  place,)  constitutes  the 
first  extreme  in  all  cases,  and  the  lowest  —  the  most  elementary 
—  the  most  simple  branch,  constitutes  the  last  extreme,  while 
the  intermedium  occupies  the  place  between,  being  as  much  be- 
low the  first  as  it  is  above  the  last.  Now,  each  of  these  contains 
its  own  particular  extremes  and  medium  when  considered  sep- 
arately. The  process  may  be  compared  to  that  which  takes 
place  in  the  separated  pieces  of  a  magnet,  where  each  piece 
assumes  the  extremes  of  opposite  polarity  with  an  intermediate 
neutral  space  —  thus  continuing  in  all  respects  like  the  original 
large  magnet  from  which  they  were  broken,  being  divisions 
from  it. 


20 

And,  2dly,  having  shown  this  uniform  subordination  of  parts 
\ve  observe  that  in  the  true  order  of  creation,  the  most  simple,  or 
elementary,  is  the  first  in  order  of  time,  and  the  most  perfect  the 
last ;  this  being  the  synthetic  order,  is  the  reverse  of  that  laid 
down  in  the  synopsis,  page  3d,  and  is  easily  explained  by  turn- 
ing to  it  and  casting  the  eye  upon  the  3d  part  under  the  term 
nature,  which  is  the  18th  from  the  beginning  —  it  being  headed 
matter,  and  divided  into  solid,  liquid  and  aeriform.  The  aeriform 
branch  being  the  last,  is  the  most  simple  in  the  scale  there  given 
and  admits  of  but  one  degree  more  of  analysis,  by  dividing  it 
into  oxygenious,  hydrygenous,  and  etherial  elements.  These 
are  the  true  ultimate  elements  of  matter,  by  the  relations  and  com- 
binations of  which  all  material  bodies  are  composed.  These 
simple  elements  constitute  the  materials  of  which  the  sun  and 
all  the  planets  of  the  solar  system  are  composed,  while  they  en- 
ter into  and  constitute  the  materials  of  the  smallest  organized 
bodies  that  grow  on  the  earth.  These  three  kinds  of  matter 
operated  upon  by  the  three  kinds  of  motion  — calorific,  mechan- 
ical, and  organic,  produce  three  kinds  of  organization,  viz  :  min- 
eral, vegetable,  and  animal,  thus  constituting  the  whole  material 
world. 

The  process  of  creation,  as  stated  above,  must  be  traced  syn- 
thetically to  accord  with  the  order  of  time  ;  thus  we  begin  with 
these  simple  elements,  of  the  origin  of  which  we  have  no  idea, 
except  that  they  are  under  the  dominion  of  the  Creator.  Wheth- 
er he  created  them  out  of  nothing,  or  whether  they  have  ever 
existed  as  the  vestments  of  Him  who  inhabiteth  eternity,  belongs 
not  to  the  human  mind  to  inquire.  Our  legitimate  inquiry  be- 
gins with  the  embrionic  formation  of  the  present  material  world. 
The  first  division  is  the  mineral  kingdom.  Its  formation  com- 
menced first  in  order  of  time.  Its  1st  synthetic  divisions  are,  1st. 
primary  strata  ;  2d,  transition  ;  Sd,  that  which  has  been  called 
secondary  strata.  The  next  kingdom  in  order  of  time  is  the 
vegetable,  it  had  its  formation  in  and  grows  up  out  of  the  min- 
eral kingdom,  and  is  inseparably  connected  with  it.  Its  divisions 
**e,  1st,  annuals,  or  plants  ;  2d,  endogeneous  ;  3d,  exogeneous 


21 

trees.  The  next  in  order  of  creation  is  the  animal  kingdom, 
which  has  its  foundation  in  the  vegetable.  Its  1st  divisions  are 
seen  in  the  synopsis,  placed  in  the  analytic  order. 

3dly,  these  great  departments  in  the  organic  circle,  are  distin- 
guished from  each  other,  not  merely  by  their  outward  forms  and 
properties,  but  also  by  their  internal  structure,  as  follows: 
Minerals  are  formed  by  simple  geometrical  laws  of  chrystaliza- 
tion.  Vegetation  is  formed  by  the  union  of  the  laws  of  chrys- 
talization,  with  the  vegetative  principle  ;  while  every  .being  in  the 
animal  kingdom,  unites  in  itself  the  laws  of  chrystalization,  veg- 
etation, and  sensation. 

4thly.  We  have  now  shown  that  nature  consists  of  three  dis- 
tinct kinds  of  organism,  each  possessing  different  degrees  of  per- 
fection, and  that  each,  though  complete  in  itself,  is  connected 
with  the  others,  and  each  becoming  more  perfect  as  we  arise  in 
the  scale  of  material  beings ;  and  as  the  human  race  is  the  high- 
est extreme  in  these  organic  sciences  —  the  human  body  being 
the  most  perfect  of  all  material  organisms,  we  might  expect  that 
a  still  higher  principle  had  its  development  in  it ;  and  such  infer- 
ence is  correct,  for  the  human  mind  is  a  spiritual  organism. 

5thly.  In  the  true  science  of  Antroponomy,  the  same  arrange- 
ment applies.  Man  is  first  considered  in  his  material  or  natural 
state.  He  is  first  a  material  organism  ;  to  this  is  added  the  men- 
tal, life  or  spirtual,  organism  ;  and  lastly,  to  these  two,  the  divine 
life,  each  successive  development  depending  on  the  perfectness  of 
the  preceding  state  ;  thus  a  good  and  healthy  mind  depends  on 
a  proper  development  of  the  bodily  organs,  particularly  the  cere- 
bral development ;  and  thus  it  follows  again  that  in  the  divine  life 
we  shall  be  happy  or  miserable  in  proportion  to  the  proper  or  im- 
proper use  we  make  of  our  mental  powers  while  in  the  present 
state  of  existence. 

6thly.  From  the  preceding  considerations  we  see  that  man  is 
not  only  represented  by  the  three  kingdoms  of  nature,  but  is  him- 
self a  sub-typical  representation  of  the  whole  range  of  panto- 
nomic  science.  This  law  of  representation  runs  through  all 
Branches  of  science. 


22 

7thly.  In  all  dynamical  science  the  true  data  consists  of  cause, 
power,  and  effect.  The  extremes,  cause  and  effect  being  known, 
the  relation  between  them  which  is  here  called  power,  can  be 
traced  out.  By  referring  to  page  3d,  it  will  be  seen  that  calor- 
fic  motion  is  the  first  moving  principle  in  the  material  world ; 
and,  therefore,  all  effects  under  the  laws  of  nature,  however  far 
they  may  be  removed  by  chains  of  intermediate  relations,  must 
have  their  origin  in  this  cause.  Thus  every  effect  in  nature  ori- 
ginates from  colroic.  Every  effect  in  the  mental  world,  under  the 
laws  of  mind,  originates  from  intelligence.  Every  effect  above 
these  is  superhuman  arid  supernatural  —  it  is  from  the  immediate 
intervention  of  divine  power,  and,  consequently,  a  miracle. 

This  theory  being  established,  the  process  may  be  carried 
either  way  —  from  cause  to  effect  or  the  reverse  —  cause  and 
effect  depend  on  time  in  regard  to  their  natural  sequence  ;  for 
an  effect  becomes  a  cause  when  considered  in  relation  to  other 
effects  which  result  from  it,  being  connected  postcedently  with 
it,  and  vice  versa  —  a  cause  becomes  an  effect  when  considered 
in  relation  to  its  proper  antecedent.  The  most  common  order  of 
inquiry  is  from  effect  to  cause.  An  effect  must  always  be  expe- 
rienced before  there  is  any  idea  of  a  cause  ;  the  cause  having  op- 
erated antecedently,  for  it  is  certain  that  they  cannot  commence 
at  the  same  instant,  although  they  may  appear  simultaneously  ; 
thus  we  may  trace  back  from  effect  to  cause  through  all  their  rela- 
tions until  the  inquiry  terminates  in  one  of  the  sources  of  action 
above  named. 

The  connection  between  cause  and  effect  is  called  power  — 
thus  power  always  implies  relation,  for  one  thing  can  never  affect 
another  unless  it  be  in  some  way  connected  when  associated  with 
it.  Relation  implies  difference  between  cause  and  effect.  Dif- 
ference implies  superiority  and  inferiority  ;  the  cause  being  the 
superior,  or  first  in  time  —  the  effect,  the  inferior,  or  last  in  time. 
These  being  connected  by  the  relative  power,  constitute  the  nat- 
ural sequence  called  cause,  power,  and  effect. 

All  created  things  are  the  effect  of  which  the  Almighty  Creator 
is  the  cause  ;  and  the  intelligent  act  of  creating  and  preserving 


23 

them  in  existence,  forms  the  relation  between  Him  and  His 
works  ;  and  we  find  that  this  natural  sequence  exists  throughout 
creation  —  having  originated  from  the  first  act  of  Deity  in  creat- 
ing all  things,  it  constitutes  the  first  principles  of  all  dynamical 
science. 


PRACTICAL  ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  THE  GRAMMAR 
OF  SCIENCE. 

The  analysis  given  on  the  third  page,  does  not  extend  so  far  as 
I  intended  ;  but  some  further  idea  of  the  extent  and  perfect  ar- 
rangement of  the  system  will  be  obtained  irom  the  following  re- 
view. 

Suppose  a  student  who  is  studying  Botany  (perhaps  he  is 
counting  the  stamens  of  a  flower  to  find  its  place  in  the  Linnaen 
system)  should  be  asked  what  branch  of  science  he  was  engag- 
ed in,  where  does  it  belong  ?  What  are  its  relations  to  other 
branches  of  science  ?  What  place  does  it  occupy  in  the  great 
field  of  nature  ?  or  in  the  still  greater  field  of  universal  science  ? 
What  is  the  answer  ?  Is  there  any  rule  in  any  Philosophy  by 
which  this  question  can  be  answered  ?  By  referring  to  the  syn- 
opsis, we  find  it  occupies  the  2d  place,  and  is  the  medium  branch 
in  the  organic  circle,  standing  between  the  animal  and  mineral 
departments  —  the  one  being  the  first  extreme,  and  the  other  the 
last  —  arid  it  runs  imperceptibly,  like  the  colors  of  the  rain-bow, 
into  both,  and  is  connected  indissolubly  with  them. 

This  is  its  foundation  —  let  us  trace  it  to  its  origin.  It  is  the 
2d  in  the  organic  circle  —  the  organic  is  the  first  in  the  natural 
—  and  the  natural  is  the  3d  in  the  universal  circle,  and  conse- 
quently this  branch  is  the  20th  remove  from  the  beginning. 

We  will  now  take  the  science  Entomology.  This  branch  ex- 
plains the  nature  of  insects  or  the  Annalosa  order.  This  is  the 
1st  division  in  the  invertebrated  circle  called  the  Annalosa  —  it 
is  the  1st  extreme  and  connected  with  the  Radiata,  which  is  the 
2d  part  of  the  same  circle.  Thus  it  is  the  1st  in  the  in  vertebra- 


24 

ted  circle  —  the  invertebrated  is  the  3d  in  the  zoological  —  the 
zoological  department  is  the  1st  in  the  organic —  the  organic  is 
the  1st  in  the  natural,  and  the  natural  is  the  3d  in  the  universal. 

Suppose  a  student  is  studying  moral  Philosophy,  and  we  put 
the  question,  What  is  the  foundation  of  this  branch  of  science? 
The  answer  is,  It  is  the  2d  part  in  the  mental  department.  And 
this  again  is  the  2d  part  in  the  universal.  Now  suppose  the  stu- 
dent has  been  reading  a  sentence,  and  we  select  a  word  from  it» 
and  ask  him  what  part  of  speech  it  is  ?  He  would  probably  give 
the  name  of  it  and  show  its  relation  to  other  parts  of  speech  or 
other  words  in  the  sentence,  giving  it  a  full  explanation  — for  if 
he  had  even  the  ad  vantages  of  a  common  education  he  would  not 
like  to  be  thought  ignorant  of  the  grammar  of  his  native  lan- 
guage. 

But  did  he  ever  stop  to  think  that  every  sentence  he  reads  has 
reference  to  some  one  or  more  branches  of  science,  and  that  that 
branch  has  an  appropriate  place  in  the  scale  of  science,  and  a 
name  and  relation  as  much  as  any  part  of  speech  has  a  proper 
place  in  the  science  of  language  ;  and  it  is  possible  the  time  may 
come  when  the  student  will  be  as  anxious  to  understand  correctly 
the  grammar  of  science  as  he  now  is  to  obtain  a  correct  knowl- 
edge of  the  rules  or  laws  of  his  language.  The  time  was,  a  few 
centuries  ago,  when  the  world  got  along  very  well  without  a 
knowledge  of  the  grammar  of  language,  but  it  is  now  considered 
indispensable,  and  so  it  may  eventually  be  in  regard  to  the  laws 
of  universal  science. 

We  will  now  carry  this  process  out  into  the  more  minute  parts 
of  creation,  taking  specimens  from  the  animal  kingdom.  We 
will  trace  synthetically  the  little  bird  known  by  the  name  of  the 
hedge  sparrow  (Parus  Biarmicus  of  naturalists.)  It  is  the  9th 
remove  from  the  great  circle  of  the  animal  kingdom.  It  belongs 
to  the  sub-genus,  Parus  Proper  ;  this  little  circle  is  sub-divided 
from  the  Genus-Parus —  Parus  is  a  division  from  the  sub-family 
Parianae — Parianse  is  a  division  from  the  Family  Sylviadae — 
Sylviadac  is  a  division  from  the  tribe  Dentirosters  —  Dentirosters 
is  divided  from  the  order  Insessores  —  Insessores  is  the  1st  divis- 


25 

ion  in  the  circle  of  Birds — the  circle  of  Birds  is  the  3d  in  the 
lower  Vertebrata — the  lower  Vertebrata  is  the  2d  in  the  Zoologi- 
cal —  the  Zoological,  or  Animal,  is  the  1st  in  the  Organic  —  the 
Organic  is  the  1st  in  the  Natural  —  the  Natural  is  the  3d  in  the 
Universal. 

I  will  now  descend  still  lower,  and  take  the  beautiful  Shell 
Harpula,  (Vexillum.) 

It  belongs  to  the  sub-genus,  Harpula  Proper.  This  is  subdi- 
vided from  the  genus,  Harpula ;  Harpula  is  from  the  sub-family 
Volutinae;  Volutinas  is  from  the  family,  Volutidas ;  Volutidae  is 
from  the  tribe,  Zoophaga  ;  Zoophaga  is  from  the  order,  Gastero- 
poda ;  Gasteropoda  is  from  the  class,  Testacea ;  Testacea  is  from 
the  sub-kingdom,  Mollusca;  Mollusca  is  the  3d  is  the  Invertebra- 
ta  ;  Invertebrata  is  the  3d  in  the  Animal  circle  ;  the  Animal  is  the 
1st  in  the  Organic;  the  Organic  is  the  first  in  the  Material  or 
Natural ;  the  Material  is  the  3d  in  the  Universal. 

Here  I  have  used  the  terms,  kingdom,  sub-kingdom,  class,  or- 
der, tribe,  family,  sub-family,  genus,  and  sub-genus,  because  they 
are  terms  most  familiar  with  naturalists.  Yet  all  that  is  meant 
is  a  distinct  department  which  has  a  greater  resemblance  between 
its  internal  parts,  than  it  has  to  any  other  department  in  the 
whole  range  of  Science.  It  matters  not  whether  it  is  called  a 
circle,  a  class,  family,  or  genus,  provided  we  understand  the  true 
order  of  arrangement. 

All  these  terms  —  the  terms  genus  and  species  in  particular  — 
are  in  common  use  among  students,  yet  in  the  present  state  of 
knowledge,  they  have  no  definite  meaning  whalever,  and  might 
as  well  be  entirely  discarded.  Some  speak  of  the  human  race, 
others  of  the  human  species ;  some  divide  species  into  varieties  ; 
others  consider  varieties  as  species.  Des  Moulins,  a  French 
Philosopher,  asks  the  question,  "  What  are  species  ?"  but  does 
not  answer  it.  And  a  late  writer  says,  "  that  naturalist  would  be 
canonized  who  should  answer  it  in  "a  manner  acceptable  to  all." 
Now,  whoever  will  take  the  trouble  to  learn  the  system  of  the 
universe  as  here  developed,  will  find  no  difficulty  in  giving  a  defi- 
nite and  satisfactory  meaning  to  these  terms,  if  they  choose  to 
place  them  in  this  mathematical  arrangement. 


26 

By  the  analytic  process,  we  find  that  each  circle,  or  depart- 
ment, according  to  its  superior  rank,  embraces  all  those  that  are 
below  it.  Beginning  with  the  circle  of  the  universe,  we  traverse 
twelve  circles  before  we  arrive  at  the  small  animals,  whose  sta- 
tions we  have  just  considered,  and  whose  relations  have  been 
traced  in  the  opposite  direction  by  the  synthetic  process  till  they 
terminated  in  the  circle  of  the  universe,  where  all  things  unite  in 
one  great  whole.  For  we  proceed  from  the  absolute  unity  of  all 
things  down  to  the  last  degree  of  analysis  ;  and  if  it  is  supposed 
that  we  have  not  yet  arrived  at  the  last  degree  of  analysis,  that  is, 
(when  applied,  for  instance,  to  a  group  of  animals,)  the  highest 
degree  of  resemblance  —  that  point  where  no  distinction  except 
that  ot  individuals  can  be  found  ;  then  it  is  evident  we  must  be- 
gin at  the  first  extreme,  and  take  the  course  of  analysis;  so  that  we 
are  never  without  data  from  which  to  begin  our  arrangement  ; 
and  if  the  data  be  fixed,  and  the  series  uniform,  every  sub-divis- 
ion will  be  equally  fixed  and  certain,  and  show  its  precise  situa- 
tion in  the  great  scale  of  science. 


KNOWLEDGE  PANTONOMICALLY  CONSIDERED. 

Having  now  given  a  complete  prodromus  of  the  system  of  the 
universe,  I  shall  for  the  sake  of  illustration  make  a  few  observa- 
tions on  different  subjects,  without  taking  up  the  sciences  ID. 
order. 

It  is  claimed  that  the  world  is  rapidly  increasing  in  knowledge 
at  the  present  day.  If  this  be  true,  we  must  admit  one  of  two 
things ;  either  that  human  knowledge  is  a  positive  evil,  or  that 
we  are  not  progressing  in  the  right  kind  of  knowledge  ;  for  no 
one  who  takes  a  correct  and  impartial  view  of  the  present  moral 
state  of  society,  can  doubt  that  there  is  a  deficiency  in  moral 
worth,  and  consequently  in  true  piety,  which  ill  comports  with 
our  apparent  advantages. 

Now  science  proclaims  that  knowledge  in  its  widest  sense  is 
inseparably  connected  with  virtue  and  piety,  and  consequently  a 


27 

a  positive  blessing.  It  therefore  follows  that  we  are  not  pursuing 
the  right  kind  of  knowledge.  It  is  too  local  and  partial.  The 
mind  must  be  properly  balanced  by  knowledge  of  principles, 
it  must  be  expanded  into  that  wide  range  of  science  which  ena- 
bles man  to  see  all  his  moral  and  intellectual  relations  in  their 
true  light.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  he  learns  the  relations  of  ma- 
terial things  —  that  he  subdues  nature  to  his  will.  By  his 
power  over  the  elements,  by  the  use  of  electricity,  galvanism 
and  steam,  he  may  bring  all  parts  of  the  earth  into  closer  com- 
munication. These  powers,  aided  by  mechanical  knowledge, 
and  applied  in  various  ways,  may  abridge  human  labor  a  hun- 
dred fold.  The  free  press  may  disseminate  this  knowledge 
through  the  world  ;  but  should  we  thus  go  on  attempting  to  im- 
prove our  physical  condition  without  duly  attending  to  the  higher 
laws  of  our  moral  and  divine  relations,  what  can  be  expected  but 
that  retrograde  movement,  in  this  respect,  which  all  pretended 
refined  nations  have  experienced,  and  which  has  ended,  or  must 
sooner  or  later  end,  in  their  final  destruction.  This  kind  of 
knowledge  is  useful  and  highly  important  in  its  place  ;  and  so  is 
all  that  which  is  generally  called  practical  among  men,  such  as 
knowledge  of  facts  in  relation  to  worldly  business.  Our  physical 
condition  must  have  its  proper  share  of  attention.  But  who  does 
not  see  that  this  kind  of  advancement  may  be  made  to  usurp  the 
place  of  more  important  interests.  Teach  man  the  higher  prin- 
ciples of  science,  let  him  see  clearly  their  immediate  connection 
with  his  real  interests,  and  his  physical  advantage  will  be  rightly 
understood.  He  will  make  them  subservient  to  his  highest  inter- 
ests both  in  this  world  and  in  the  world  to  come.  Neglect  these, 
and  his  physical  advantages  serve  but  to  augment  his  misery 
and  secure  his  ruin.  The  boasted  utilitarian  principle,  the  reli- 
ance on  what  is  called  matter-of-fact  and  experimental  knowledge, 
is  the  legitimate  result  of  the  Baconian  Philosophy,  or  as  it  is 
generally  called,  the  Inductive  System.  Its  foundation  is  laid  in 
the  observation  of  facts  —  its  facts  are  proved  by  experiments, 
and  the  correctness  of  its  experiments  is  tested  by  the  external 
;  for  these  senses  are,  according  to  his  Philosophy,  the 


28 

foundation  of  all  psychological,  as  well  as  physical  knowledge. 
Thus  the  imperfect  and  variable  organs  of  sensation  are  made  to 
supercede  the  eternal  and  unchangable  laws  of  science.     It  is 
true  the  mind  takes  cognisance  of  the  material  world  by  the  aid 
of  these  senses;  but  they  are  connected  with  the  lowest  extreme 
of  the  intellect — the  perceptive  faculty  ;  hence  all  the  testimo- 
ny received  through  this  source  must,  before  it  can  be  relied  on, 
be  examined  by  the  reasoning  Faculty  —  by  the  fixed  laws  of 
science,  as  developed  by  the  constitution  of  the  mind  itself.    The 
reasoning  power  is  the  highest  extreme  of  intellect,  and  in  accor- 
dance with  the  true  system  of  science,  which  reveals  the  law  of 
subordination  ;  the  highest  always  supercede  the  lowest  branch- 
es.    This  will  be  understood  in  regard  to  the  mind  by  showing 
the  systematical  arrangement  as  it  is  developed  by  its  relation  to 
matter.     The  first  division  includes  the  perceptive  powers  ,  the 
second,  the  retentive  power;    the  third,  the  reasoning  power.* 
The  perceptive  faculties  are  the  lowest  —  the  first  developed  ; 
they  predominate  in  the  infancy  of  individual  life,  and  in  the 
earliest  period  of  the  human  race.     In  the  savage  state,  percep- 
tion predominates  over  reason.     The  savage  believes  his  senses. 
He  says  the  world  is  flat,  and  the  sun  moves  round,  and  actually 
rises  and  sets.     This  is  the  testimony  of  the  external  senses, 
which  it  is  the  office  of  reason  to  correct,    and  reason  is  predica- 
ted on  the  intuitive  principles  of  mind,  from  which  there  is  no  ap- 
peal—  therefore,  it  is  clear  that  induction  is  useful  only  when 
rightly  applied.     But  without  deduction  it  is  a  baseless  fabric. 
Man  need  not  sin  in  this  world,  and  then  pass  to  the  next,  in  or- 
der to  prove  by  experiment  that  sin  is  necessarily  connected  with 
punishment.     He  knows  this  from  the  laws  of  science.      He 
wants  no  facts  brought  forth  by  the  inductive  principle  of  experi- 
ment to  prove  it.     In  this  as  in  all  other  cases  the  principles  of 
mind  are  corroborated  by  divine  revelation.     Religion  stands  be- 
tween the  mental  and  divine  departments.     The  law  of  duty  is 
implanted  in  the  moral  constitution  of  the  mind.    Religion  re- 

*  These  divisions  show  the  developement  of  the  intellectual  powers  in  relation  to  the 
material  world,  while  the  analysis  of  intellect,  given  in  the  Synopsis  shows  their  arrange- 
ment in  the  mind,  iuifs  more  mature  state- 


29 

cognizes  and  amplifies  this  law,  showing  its  connection  with 
the  welfare  of  the  soul.  This  law  of  duty  recognizes  the  relation 
of  sin  and  punishment,  and  of  virtue  and  happiness,  and  points 
out  three  states.  The  first,  a  state  of  blessedness,  the  heavenly 
state  ;  the  second,  a  state  of  probation,  or  earthly  state  ;  the  third, 
a  state  of  punishment,  or  the  world  of  woe,  a  state  of  death  to  the 
soul.  This  last  mentioned  state  is  the  lowest  extreme,  and  con- 
sequently, the  opposite  of  the  heavenly,  to  which  the  true  pro- 
gress of  the  mind,  in  its  upward  ascent,  would  lead  :  it  being  in 
this  case  guided  by  the  laws  of  science,  while  a  downward  course 
towards  the  other  extreme  would  as  surely  result  from  an  at- 
tempt to  evade  or  disregard  these  laws.  The  worm,  obedient  to 
the  laws  of  his  nature,  spends  a  part  of  his  life  in  preparing  a  cov- 
ering of  a  material  which  is  a  non-conductor  of  electric  force. — 
In  this  tomb  he  envelopes  himself,  and  thus  retains  the  feeble 
galvanic  force,  which  sustains  a  kind  of  vitality  while  he  passes 
through  the  shades  of  death,  and  ensures  himself  a  resurrection 
into  a  higher  world  of  life  and  light  and  happiness.  He  is  no 
longer  confined  to  the  dust  on  which  he  was  doomed  to  crawl  in 
his  less  perfect  state  of  being,  but  soars  aloft  in  the  pure  light  of 
day,  and  wings  his  way  over  flowery  meads  and  widening 
scenes  of  joy. 

Now,  had  he  disregarded  the  laws  of  his  nature,  and  neglected 
to  prepare  himself  for  the  change  of  death,  he  must  have  died  as 
he  had  lived,  unprepared,  and  fallen  to  the  lowest  extreme  of  his 
nature,  that  of  inanimate  dust.  So  it  is  with  man  —  if  he  diso- 
beys the  laws  of  moral  science  and  neglects  to  prepare  that  guard 
for  his  soul  which  virtue  and  piety  alone  can  secure,  and  which 
shall  save  his  soul  alive  as  he  passes  through  the  ordeal  of  death, 
and  becomes  prepared  for  a  glorious  resurrection.  If  he 
neglects  this  preparation,  then  he  must,  whenever  death  over- 
takes him,  fall  to  the  lowest  extreme  of  the  mental  state,  and  in- 
sure an  entire  separation  from  the  upper  world.  The  anirn/J 
dies  a  physical  death,  the  man  a  spiritual  death,  this  is  a  state 
of  woe,  it  is  called  everlasting  death.  The  Philosopher  should 
stop  here,  and  leave  the  description  with  divine  revelation.  All 
we  know  from  reason  is,  that  it  is  a  state  consequent  on  sinful- 


30 

ness,  and  that  the  degree  of  punishment  will  be  proportionate  to 
the  amount  of  sin  committed.  (There  is  a  lowest  hell  as  well  as  a 
highest  heaven.)  This  state,  as  we  have  already  shown,  is  the 
consequence  of  an  aberation  from  the  progressive  laws  of  sci- 
ence, and  admits  not  of  extensive  explanation. 

Let  us  now  pass  from  this  lowest  state  to  the  next  in  order,  the 
probationary  state.  Here  the  laws  of  science  teach  us  that  the 
true  course  is  that  of  progression  from  a  less  to  a  more  perfect 
state  ;  and  if  we  continue  in  such  a  course,  we  shall  pass  on  to 
the  divine  state ;  nothing  is  necessary  but  a  strict  compliance 
with  these  laws.  The  animal  just  mentioned  obeys  the  laws  of 
his  physical  nature  by  impulse  —  by  mere  instinct;  —  and  so  did 
man,  in  the  primeval  state  of  innocence,  obey  the  moral  law  of 
his  spiritual  existence  by  impulse ;  he  knew  not  even  that  diso- 
bedience was  possible;  he  knew  not  evil ;  he,  therefore,  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  difference  between  good  and  evil,  until  the 
falsehood  was  uttered  by  the  evil  one,  "  In  the  day  ye  eat  thereof 
ye  shall  not  die."  Here  all  the  difficulty  arises.  The  error  here 
promulgated  has  been  in  the  world  ever  since.  Man  ignorantly 
thinks  he  can  evade  the  laws  of  science. 

God  has  implanted  the  great  principles  of  moral  and  religious 
science  in  the  constitution  of  our  minds  so  firmly  that  the  ordi- 
nary exercise  of  reason  clearly  developes  them,  giving  a  standard 
of  right  which  no  circumstances  of  education  can  destroy.  It  is 
intuitive  and  invariable  as  any  law  of  nature.  Thus  man  is  not 
excusable  for  any  sinful  act.  It  is  no  excuse  for  him  that  he  is 
ignorant  of  truths  which  are  so  completely  within  the  reach  of  the 
most  ordinary  capacity.  Let  it  be  every  where  understood, 
then,  that  the  laws  of  science  are  the  laws  of  God,  and  that  every 
attempt  to  evade  them  must  prove  unsuccessful,  that  it  is  a  sin 
—  and  that  the  connection  between  sin  and  punishment,  as  cause 
and  effect,  is  as  certain  as  that  between  fire  and  heat,  for  that 
vfcry  law  which  requires  compliance,  makes  punishment  the  ne- 
cessary consequence  of  all  attempts  to  evade  it.  He  that  sins 
with  the  hope  of  escaping  punishment  is  no  wiser  than  he  who 
throws  himself  into  a  glowing  furnace  with  the  expectation  of 
escaping  uninjured.  It  has  been  above  stated  that  true  knowl- 


31 

edge  of  science  is  inseparably  connected  with  virtue  and  piety, 
and  consequent  happiness,  for  this  knowledge  which  teaches  the 
laws  of  science  teaches  the  necessity  of  complying  with  them. — 
Now,  although  ignorance  is  the  cause  of  sin,  it  affords  no  excuse 
since  knowledge  is  clearly  within  our  reach. 


What  am  I  ?  What  is  my  destiny  ?  And  what  are  the  things 
around  me  1  are  the  inquiries  of  every  well  regulated  and  well 
informed  mind,  as  it  goes  forth  upon  the  works  of  creation.  Such 
reflections  are  not,  as  the  dull  sensualist  would  claim,  the  result  of 
a  morbidly  sensitive  mind,  nor  a  merely  romantic  imagination, 
but  spring  from  the  spontaneous  operation  of  reason-controlled 
thoughts.  The  sublime  truths  and  hallowed  beauties,  which 
dwell  far  beyond  the  range  of  visible  and  tangible  things,  are  re- 
flected down  from  heaven  to  the  purer  spirits  on  earth,  and  the 
mind  that  seeks  earnestly  shall  find  treasures  in  the  depths  of 
science  which  belong  not  to  mortality. 

It  is  true  that  man  in  the  first  and  lower  elements  of  his  being 
is  endowed  with  the  power  of  external  sensation,  which  he  holds 
in  common  with  the  lower  orders  of  animals  ;  and  it  is  also  true 
that  his  mental  organism  receives  its  development  and  education 
in  part  through  this  channel,  aided  by  its  own  super-combined 
laws.  These  senses  are  the  portals  through  which  the  mind 
holds  communion  with  nature.  All  material  light,  beauty,  form 
and  sounds  —  all  earthly  things  continually  present  their  offer- 
ings at  the  shrine  of  spiritual  existence  ;  while  they  in  their  turn 
receive  new  attributes  of  truth  and  harmony  when  clothed  in  the 
vestments  of  spiritual  life  —  the  source  of  higher  knowledge. 
Here  let  us  ascend  from  the  external  senses  which  belong  to  cor- 
poreal existence  and  give  knowledge  of  nature,  to  a  consideration 
of  the  higher  sense  of  mind.  The  former  are  often  deceptive 
and  imperfect ;  a  ray  of  light  does  not  always  present  its  object 
to  the  eye  in  its  true  direction  ;  all  ears  do  not  hear  the  same 
sounds,  nor  in  the  same  direction ;  nor  do  all  eyes  distinguish  the 
same  colors.  All  celestial  bodies  appear  to  be  more  elevated  than 
they  really  are,  owing  to  the  refractive  powers  of  the  atmosphere 


32 

which  bend  the  rays  of  light  towards  the  earth  ;  thus  stars  ap* 
pear  above  the  horizon  after  they  are  set.  Terrestrial  objects  of- 
ten appear  elevated,  depressed,  or  double,  in  consequence  of  the 
different  strata  of  atmosphere,  possessing  different  degrees  of  den- 
sity, caused  by  difference  of  temperature.  Many  of  these  diffi- 
culties in  the  way  of  truth  which  owe  their  origin  to  these  last 
mentioned  causes  nifty  be  removed.  But  there  are  constitutional 
defects  in  the  organs  of  external  sense  which  can  never  be  en- 
tirely removed  ;  this  is  not  the  case,  however,  with  the  mental 
sense,  for  there  is  not  a  rational  man  on  earth  who,  if  rightly  edu- 
cated, could  not  perceive  all  the  elementary  truths  of  intellectual 
and  moral  science.  The  truths  of  geometry  are  alike  perceived 
by  all  minds  that  perceive  them  at  all.  Our  duty  to  God  and 
our  fellow  beings  is  so  clear  to  all  minds  that  if  all  the  millions 
of  human  beings  on  earth  could  have  the  same  degree  of  knowl- 
edge, they  would  agree  in  every  case  relating  to  moral  and  reli- 
gious duty,  so  thai,  there  would  not  be  found  one  dissenting 
voice.  Thus  we  perceive  that  the  mental  or  spiritual  sense  is 
founded  in  unchangable  laws  of  psychological  science,  and  after 
it  is  once  developed,  may  exist  independent  of  the  external  senses 
which  depend  on  a  material  organism,  and  are  destined  to  share 
in  its  dissolution;  like  the  flower  that  dies  with  the  plant  that  sus- 
tained it,  while  the  spiritual  sense  is  reserved  as  in  the  seed  that 
survives  the  change  of  death. 

Having  established  the  high  powers  and  indistructibility  of  the 
mental  sources  of  sense,  we  perceive  that  anew  world  is  brought 
to  view,  without  which  nature  would  lose  all  her  charms  and 
become  a  lifeless  corpse  —  a  body  without  a  soul ;  and  there  are 
those  who  have  wandered  far  away  into  this  new  region  without 
knowing  how  they  got  there.  They  see  new  beauties  and  har- 
monies, the  source  of  which  they  do  not  fully  comprehend.  Like 
the  immortal  Socrates,  charmed  with  his  distant  and  imperfect 
view  of  a  pure  system  of  moral  truth,  or  like  the  holy  men  of  o'd 
inspired  with  the  gift  of  prophetic  endowment,  they  feel  what 
they  cannot  explain  to  other  minds.  They  become  transcen- 
dentalists,  and  their  writings  become  incomprehensible  to  the  or- 
dinary reader. 


33 

A  proper  survey  of  Pantonomic  science  cannot  fail  to  establish 
a  clear  view  of  the  relation  which  exists  between  the  physical  and 
mental  worlds,  and  present  the  harmony  of  their  laws  in  such 
light  as  to  render  the  subject  highly  interesting  and  instructive. 

We  will  now  ascend  still  higher,  and  show  that  the  mind  has 
higher  relationship,  and  may  be  brought  into  harmony  with  the 
divine  world,  where  there  is  a  higher  sense  developed.  In  the 
true  synthetic  order  and  progress  of  knowledge,  we  proceed  up- 
ward from  the  physical  sense  to  the  mental,  and  from  the  mental 
to  the  divine  sense,  which  is  inspiration. 

By  the  natural  eye,  we  perceive  but  few  objects  immediately 
around  us,  but  in  imitation  of  the  mechanism  of  this  organ,  the 
mind  prepares  and  arranges  instruments  of  telescopic  power,  by 
which  distant  and  unseen  worlds  are  brought  to  view ;  the  light  of 
innumerable  orbs  and  systems  in  the  far  regions  of  space  is 
brought  down  to  us  and  linked  with  our  own  material  being  by 
kindred  ties  of  relationship.  And  thus  it  is  in  the  mental  world  j 
psychological  science  presents  a  scene  of  spiritual  harmony  and 
truth  ;  and  the  whole  material  world,  when  its  laws  are  revealed, 
becomes  one  great  system  of  telescopic  media  to  the  mental  vis. 
ion,  by  which  the  light,  the  truth,  and  the  harmony  of  the  heav- 
enly and  divine  world  shed  down  their  holier  influence  on  the 
soul  of  man,  and  raise  him  up  to  that  elevation  where  mental  and 
divine  knowledge — where  wisdom  and  piety  are  united. 

Let  us  now  descend  again  to  the  relation  between  mind  and 
nature. 

Every  degree  of  corporeal  sensation,  has  its  counterpart  in  the 
affective,  (or,  as  they  are  called  in  the  synopsis.)  sensitive  powers 
of  the  mind.  To  light  and  darkness,  belong  joy  and  sorrow  ;  to 
symmetry  and  deformity,  belong  love  and  hatred ;  to  harmonious 
and  discordant  sounds,  belong  courage  and  fear ;  and  thus  every 
emotion  of  the  mind  is  made  up  of  these  affections,  either  singly 
or  variously  combined. 

The  charms  of  morning  skies  and  evening  shades,  with  all  their 
intervening  changes ;  the  rejuvenescence  of  spring,  and  the  som- 
bre hues  of  fading  autumn,  are  but  the  elements  of  the  poetry  of 


34 

nature,  reflected  upon  the  mind  through  the  medium  of  sound^ 
color  and  form.  From  the  monotone  of  the  funeral  dirge,  to  the 
highest  notes  of  joy;  from  the  dark  pall  that  covers  the  dead,  to 
the  light  and  varied  colors  of  youthful  gaiety — each  degree  links 
with  a  sympathetic  chord  in  the  affections  of  the  mind.  And  all 
the  higher  intellectual  impressions  of  geometrical  or  mathematical 
truths,  have  their  counterpart  in  the  regular  and  invariable  laws 
of  all  the  processes  of  nature — here  mind  and  nature  harmonize, 
all  is  order,  even  that  which  we  call  pleasing  variety,  is  nothing 
but  extended  order  and  uniformity.  Take  for  instance,  the  sci- 
ence of  music,  and  we  find  it  is  this  very  law  of  uniformity 
which  submits  to  the  strictest  rules  of  mathematical  formulae,  that 
creates  all  the  high  interest  we  feel  in  listening  to  it,  and  without 
which  it  would  be  neither  science  nor  music,  but  mere  discord ; 

Let  us  now  descend  to  the  lowest  extreme  of  nature,  and  take 
a  glance  at  the  elements  of  matter  and  motion. 

Matter  in  its  primary  state  is  divided  into  oxygeneous,  ethereal 
and  hydrogeneous  elements.  The  ethereal  or  neutral  element 
which  pervades  all  space,  serves  only  as  a  medium  for  the  com- 
munication of  mechanical  motion,  while  the  two  extremes,  the 
oxygeneous  and  hydrogeneous,  by  their  relation  to  each  other, 
become  the  only  agents  through  which  choloric  produces  its 
effects  in  carrying  on  all  the  works  of  material  creation.  Taking 
these  extremes  as  the  true  data,  we  have  the  following  series  :  1st 
Oxygen,  2d  ^Chlorine,  3d  Fluorine,  4th  Iodine,  5th  Tellurium, 
6th  Azote,  7th  Carbon,  8th  Sulphur,  9th  Phosphorus,  10th  Boron, 
llth  Sillicon,  12th  Metals,  13th  Zinchona,  14th  Glacina,  15th 
Alumina,  16th  Alkaline  Metals,  17th  Hydrogen.  These  inter- 
mediate substances,  placed  between  oxygen  and  hydrogen,  par- 
take more  or  less  of  the  nature  of  the  extremes  according  to  their 
situation  in  the  series,  whether  we  consider  them  as  actual  com- 
pounds of  them,  or  as  mere  simple  elements.  They  are 
arranged  here  according  to  the  resemblance  of  their  properties, 
the  same  as  we  would  arrange  the  different  shades  between  the 
extremes  of  prismatic  colors,  without  stopping  to  inquire  whether 
all  those  substances  called  elementary  are  included  in  the  range, 


or  whether  many  which  are  included  may  not  be  further 
analyzed  by  increased  galvanic  force ;  for  this  would  not  affect 
the  present  theory,  as  they  would  still  show  that  they  belonged 
to  the  same  series  ;  as  do  the  different  colors  when  subdivided 
into  lesser  shades. 

If  oxygen  gas  is  16  times  heavier  than  hydrogen,  we  may 
infer  that  one  atom  of  the  former  occupies,  under  the  same  tem- 
perature, (if  the  size  be  affected  by  temperature,)  just  one  16th 
of  the  space  occupied  by  the  latter  in  proportion  to  its  real 
amount  of  matter,  and  that  the  series  depends  on  the  gradation 
of  size  in  the  atoms  or  original  particles  of  the  different  elements. 
Here  we  have  the  first  series  in  the  secret  operations  of  nature. 
It  depends  on  the  size  of  atoms.  The  second  stries  ranges  from 
transparency  to  opacity,  and  depends  on  the  arrangement  of 
atoms  in  the  mass.  The  third  series  ranges  from  the  aeriform 
to  the  solid  state,  and  depends  on  the  form  of  atoms. 

We  can  change  a  transparent  substance  into  an  opake  state, 
merely  by  increasing  its  thickness,  and  without,  in  the  least, 
changing  its  composition,  and  we  can  also  change  the  solid  form 
to  the  liquid  or  aeriform,  by  an  increase  of  temperature,  without 
apparently  changing  the  chemical  composition  ;  it  is  evident  that 
these  properties  depend  on  calorific  motion  and  mechanical  ar- 
rangement. But  the  original  gases  have  not,  by  any  agency  yet 
known,  been  thus  transmuted  into  each  other  ;  we  have  never 
seen  oxygen  expanded  by  heat  into  hydrogen,  nor  have  we  seen 
the  latter  condensed  by  cold  or  pressure  into  oxygen  ;  and  yet  it 
is  not  certain  that  such  an  effect  cannot  be  produced.  It  may  be 
that  their  original  difference  depends  on  their  different  degrees  of 
susceptibility  to  calorific  motion.  Oxygen,  by  the  application  of 
heat  assumes  the  character  of  a  conductor  of  electricity,  a  prop- 
erty which  belongs  to  hydrogen  and  not  to  itself  in  the  normal 
state.  Expand  oxygen  until  its  volume  equals  that  of  an  equal 
weight  of  hydrogen,  and  what  are  their  properties  in  relation  to 
each  other  ?  How  are  we  to  learn  ?  The  moment  they  are 
brought  in  contact,  the  heat  of  the  former  is  transferred  to  the 
heat  of  the  latter,  its  volume  is  expanded  as  far  beyond  its  ordin- 


36 

ary  state,  as  the  other  gas  is  beyond  i:s  own.  This  only  proves 
that  their  union  takes  place  when  both  are  under  the  game 
degree  of  motion  or  temperature ;  and,  it  may  be  thought  noth- 
ing is  gained  by  the  experiment.  But  have  they  shown  precisely 
the  same  character  in  relation  to  each  other  at  this  degree  of 
temperature,  that  they  would  under  a  different  degree  ?  May 
not  the  intensity  of  action  resulting  from  their  relation  decrease 
as  we  arise  from  a  given  point  of  temperature,  by  some  definite 
law  of  proportion  between  temperature  and  intensity  of  action, 
until  all  power  arising1  from  their  relation  ceases,  thus  destroying 
all  chemical  action  by  their  homogeneous  character?  And 
again,  is  it  not  probable  that  as  we  decrease  the  temperature  and 
descend  below  this  given  point,  a  similar  law  of  decreasing  action 
prevails,  until  we  arrive  at  a  point  where  all  chemical  action 
ceases.  Here  is  a  great  series  formed ;  or  rather,  two  series  of 
action  proceeding  from  a  medium  point  in  opposite  directions, 
until  they  terminate  in  two  extremes,  uniting  in  a  certain  result, 
viz.,  an  entire  destruction  of  an  organized  material  world  ;  the 
one  producing  a  complete  state  of  rest  in  every  atom  of  matter, 
resulting  from  an  entire  absence  of  calorific  motion,  the  other 
such  a  high  degree  of  this  motion,  as  to  keep  every  atom  of  mat- 
ter at  such  a  distance  from  each  other  as  to  prevent  their  relation 
and  union,  and  consequent  organization. 

Here  we  have  data  from  whence  to  commence  our  inquiries 
into  the  origin  of  the  solar  system,  —  commencing  with  the 
three  original  elements  in  an  uncombined  state  as  the  occupants 
of  space  or  some  part  of  space,  and  constituting  that  chaotic  state 
of  the  substance  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth  which  God  created 
before  he  said,  "Let  there  be  light."  Now  it  is  evident  that 
matter  must  have  been  in  one  or  the  other  of  the  extreme  states 
of  motion  or  rest  which  I  have  pointed  out,  for  it  could  not  occupy 
a  place  between  them,  that  being  the  present  state  of  action.  It 
could  not  have  been  in  the  state  of  the  active  extreme,  for  intense 
calorific  motion  produces  light,  and  light  in  this  first  state  of  mat- 
ter did  not  exist,  for  God  had  not  yet  called  it  into  existence. 
Besides,  we  have  an  idea  independent  of  this  proof  from  Scrip- 


37 

ture,  that  as  space  may  exist  without  matter,  so  matter  might 
exist  without  motion,  and  that  motion  was  the  last  principle 
originally  introduced.  Therefore  it  may  be  inferred  that  calorific 
motion  was  applied  when  the  light  was  introduced,  and  in  such 
a  degree  as  was  calculated  to  carry  on  all  the  subsequent  opera- 
tions of  nature,  including  the  formation  of  the  solar  system  and  all 
the  organized  bodies  attached  to  the  planets. 

From  the  above  considerations  it  is  evident —  1st,  that  a  proper 
degree  of  calorific  force  applied  to  two  substances  belonging  to 
the  oxygenous  and  hydrogenous  extremes  of  the  elemental  series 
when  in  contact,  causes  them  to  unite  in  certain  proportions,  and 
by  this  union  produce  compounds  differing  from  themselves  in 
property ;  and  2d,  that  this  same  degree  of  power  applied  to  two 
or  more  substances  belonging  to  the  same  extreme,  causes  an 
opposite,  effect — a  repulsion  or  separation  of  atoms.  But  we 
have  already  shown  that  another  series  may  exist  by  which  this 
calorific  force  becomes,  at  one  of  its  extremes,  so  intense  as  to 
destroy  this  last  series,  and  to  hold  both  kinds  of  atoms  belonging 
to  the  two  extremes  of  oxygen  and  hydrogen  in  entire  separation; 
that  is,  in  the  occupancy  of  the  greatest  amount  of  space,  while 
the  opposite  extreme  of  this  series  being  that  of  entire  absence 
of  calorific  motipn,  leaves  the  atoms  of  all  elements  in  a  complete 
state  of  rest,  (the  source  of  attraction,)  and  consequently  occu- 
pying the  least  possible  amount  of  space  in  the  mass,  for  it  is 
certain  that  atoms  of  matter  require  more  space  when  in  relative 
motion  than  at  rest.  Therefore  calorific  motion  once  applied  to 
matter,  becomes  a  self-compensating  force — the  cause  of  com- 
position, decomposition  and  re-composition  of  bodies.  A 
moderate  degree  of  temperature  is  sufficient  to  cause  the  elements 
of  a  galvanic  battery  to  unite,  and  the  oxidation  thus  produced 
ultimately  developes  intense  motion,  sufficient  to  decompose  the 
hardest  compound  substances,  the  elements  of  which  may  again 
be  united  by  the  aid  of  that  moderate  degree  of  temperature  or 
heat  which  first  served  to  put  the  battery  in  motion  and  keep  up 
its  power. 

Under  a  sufficient  degree  of  heat  in  the  animal  body,  the  oxy- 
gen of  the  atmosphere  coming  in  contact  with  the  hydrogeneous 


33 

elements,  supplied  by  the  blood,  in  the  lungs,  unites  with  them, 
producing  that  moderate  degree  of  warmth,  arising  from  the  slow 
combustion  which  continues  through  life.  Thus,  a  power  first 
received  from  another  being  becomes  the  cause  of  a  second  pow- 
er—  the  union  of  elements  —  chemical  action,  and  thirdly,  con- 
sequent continued  evolution  of  animal  heat  —  the  blood  having 
received  its  hydrogeneous  properties  from  the  food  in  the  stom- 
ach—  passes  to  the  lungs  —  receives  an  amount  of  oxygen,  a 
part  of  which  unites  in  producing  the  necessary  degree  of  com- 
bustion, and  a  part  unites  with  the  globules  of  the  blood  —  passes 
to  the  heart  —  excites  mechanical  movement,  which  re-acts  upon 
the  fluid,  and  becomes  a  secondary  cause  in  aiding  the  general 
circulation  —  the  blood  still  retaining  its  oxygen,  passes  to  the 
brain,  where  it  comes  in  contact  with  and  forms  a  part  of  the  ner- 
vous aperatus  ;  and  here  another  union  of  elements  takes  place  in 
consequence  of  the  oxygen  carried  there  by  the  blood,  and  thus 
evolving  a  sufficient  quantity  of  galvanic  force  to  produce  all  the 
powers  of  corporeal  sensation. 

It  has  been  observed  that  the  mineral  kingdom  is  organic.  Our 
earth  in  its  general  properties  presents  to  view  an  organized  body, 
the  first  divisions  of  which  are  solid,  liquid  and  aeriform.  The 
aeriform,  or  gaseous,  is  the  first  in  the  order  of.  creation.  Our 
atmosphere  is  a  vast  ocean  surrounding  the  earth,  and  extending 
50  or  60  miles  from  its  surface.  At  the  bottom  of  this  ocean,  we 
live,  move  and  have  our  being,  like  submarine  animals  at  the 
bottom  of  the  aqueous  ocean  ;  so  that  we  live  in,  instead  of  being 
on,  our  planet.  The  liquid  state  is  the  next  in  order  of  creation. 
It  is  beneath  and  around  us  in  the  form  of  water  and  vapor. 
The  solid  state  is  the  last  in  the  order  of  creation,  and  is  beneath 
our  feet. 

All  the  primary  operations  of  nature  are  carried  on  by  the 
effects  of  calorific  motion  through  the  medium  of  size,  form  and 
arrangement  of  atoms  of  matter. 

Hence  we  may  infer  that  the  vis  vitcc,  the  highest  principle  of 
life,  that  power  by  which  man  and  all  other  animals  live,  is  pro- 
duced by  Thermo-galvanic  force ;  and  that  the  vegetative  princi- 


pie  which  belongs  to  plants  as  well  as  animals,  depends  on 
Galvano-electric  force,  while  chrystalization  which  belongs  to  the 
mineral  kingdom,  and  extends  up  through  the  vegetable  and 
animal  kingdoms,  depends  on  Electro-magnetic  force. 

These  three  forces  arise  from  one  and  the  same  cause,  viz., 
the  combination  of  oxygeneous  and  hydrogeneous  substances,* 
under  a  sufficient  degree  of  previous  calorific  motion  to  cause 
their  action,  and  differ  from  each  other  only,  in  being  the  result 
of  more  complicated  arrangements,  as  we  pass  upward  from  the 
most  simple  in  the  mineral  to  thg  most  complicated  in  the  animal 
organization. 

In  explaining  the  elements  of  motion,  we  must  go  back  to  the 
first  principles.  All  bodies  in  the  solar  system,  as  well  as  all  the 
atoms  in  the  solid  mass,  while  operated  upon  by  caloric,  move  in 
orbits  consisting  of  three  motions  combined,  the  centrifugal,  cen- 
tripetal and  tangental. 

If  a  fire  be  kindled  in  an  open  space  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  oscilation  is  the  immediate  result ;  the  rarified  air  is  pro- 
pelled upward,  passes  off"  and  returns  in  a  more  dense  state 
below.  Now  if  this  fire  was  kindled  up,  like  the  sun,  in  a  place 
far  removed  from  all  other  bodies,  the  repulsions  and  attractions, 
that  is,  the  oscilations,  would  take  place  in  all  directions  from 
and  towards  the  central  source,  every  body  floating  in  space, 
within  the  reach  of  its  influence,  would  move  from  it  and  then 
return,  not  in  direct  lines,  but  in  eliptical  orbits  round  the  centre, 
approaching  towards  circles  in  proportion  to  the  density  of  the 
body.  Thus  there  are  two  extremes  between  which  all  bodies 
move,  for  there  can  be  none  so  dense  as  to  move  in  a  circle,  and 
none  so  rare  as  to  move  in  straight  lines  to  and  from  the  centre. 
Light  and  heat  move  in  straight  lines,  therefore  they  are  not 
bodies  nor  atoms,  but  consist  of  motion  communicated  from  par 
tide  to  particle  of  the  ethereal  medium  through  ivhich  they  pass, 
producing  a  succession  of  minute  consecutive  oscilations.  (Here 
•we  may  infer,  hypothetically,  that  heat  depends  on  the  length, 
light  on  the  rapidity,  and  chemical  rays  on  the  width,  of  these 

*  These  extremes  constitute,  probably,  the  ultimate  source  oi  the  seiual  relations  in 
plants  and  animals. 


40 

oscilations.)      No  body,  under  the  influence  of  calorific  motion 
can  move  in  direct  lines  to  and  from  the  centre  of  motion  ;  for 
the  moment  its  rarity  equals  that  of  the  medium  through  which  it 
passes,  it  must  cease  to  be  a  distinct  body  and  become  homogen-  * 
eons  with  that  medium. 

Now  suppose  this  ethereal  medium  to  possess  the  same  degree 
of  density  every  where,  whether  in  general  space  or  between  the 
atoms  of  solid  bodies ;  then  we  have  a  fixed  law  of  proportion 
between  the  density  of  an  atom  or  a  body  and  the  eccentrity  of 
the  elipse  of  its  orbit  in  this  medium,  and  we  may  learn  the  exact 
density  of  every  body  in  our  solar  system  as  soon  as  we  know 
the  elements  of  their  orbits.* 

From  this  hasty  view  of  the  laws  of  motion,  it  appears  evident 
that  calorific  motion  is  the  primary  cause  of  all  effects  in  the 
material  world.  There  could  be  no  motion  without  it.  "  God 
said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light."  This  light  arose 
from  the  application  of  caloric  to  the  oxygeneous  and  hydrogen- 
eous  elements  in  an  uncombined  state.  Here  this  universal  agent 
was  introduced — the  sun  was  lighted  up — and  from  that  moment 
it  went  on,  aided  by  the  laws  of  mechanical  and  organic  motion, 
to  the  complete  formation  of  the  present  material  world,  under 
the  guidance  of  Him  who  first  introduced  it. 

The  rotatory  motion  of  storms,  whirlwinds,  and  waterspouts,  is 
the  result  of  this  oscilative  force  modified  by  mechanical  causes, 
and  running  through  every  degree  of  elipticity  of  gyration,  and 
every  degree  of  elevation  from  a  horizontal  to  a  perpendicular 
whirl,  depending  on  Ihe  alternate  rarification  and  condensation 
of  matter — the  ever-beating  pulse  of  nature. 

*  According  to  this  law  of  motion  a  comet  must  be  extremely  rare,  and  especially  so 
when  near  the  sun,  for  it  moves  in  an  extremely  cecentiic  elipsis.  Many  of  them  must  be 
less  dense  than  our  atmosphere:  and  from  the  laws  of  light  here  developed,  we  perceive 
that  the  comet's  tail  does  not  consist  of  matter,  but  is  nothing  more  than  the  sun's  light 
deprived  of  its  calorific  and  red  rays  while  passing  through  the  comet ;  which  accounts 
for  the  cold  weather  experienced  during  acometary  visit,  as  well  as  the  stream  of  whitish 
light  called  the  tail. 

It  also  appears  from  this  system  that  our  earth,  and  all  other  bodied  in  the  solar  sys- 
tem, must  increase  in  density  from  the  earliest  period  of  their  existence  till  their  final  disso- 
lution ;  and  therefore  that  their  orbits  must  be  tending  towards  perfect  circles;  and  the 
time  occupied  in  each  of  their  successive  revolutions  slowly  diminishing. 

[The  term  elipsis,  is  used  in  this  work  to  designate  orbits  describing  conic  sections.] 


0? 

113 
L(,z. 


